


Flying Down to Hollywood

by StrictlyFromCorn (orphan_account)



Series: Dancing in the Dark [1]
Category: 20th Century CE RPF, American Actor RPF, Astaire/Rogers RPF, Classic Hollywood - Fandom, Dancers - Fandom, Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers Movies
Genre: Gen, dancing in the dark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-22
Updated: 2014-01-22
Packaged: 2018-01-09 14:25:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1147046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/StrictlyFromCorn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alternate Universe (AU): In which Fred Astaire is not married when he first comes to Hollywood.<br/>1933, Hollywood. Fred has just arrived to start work on Flying Down to Rio, and befriends a certain assistant dance director and finds his former girlfriend, Ginger. He starts to fall hard for her, but a piece of news snaps him back to reality.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flying Down to Hollywood

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is the first part of my AU, Dancing in the Dark, which is going to be a series of oneshots between Fred and Ginger! In this, he isn't married when he first comes to Hollywood, and they are both at MGM Studios! Please enjoy!

"Come in." The man sitting at his desk called in response to a knock at his office door. One look at the sign told you who he was - Louis B. Mayer, the illustrious head of MGM Studios. He wasn't quite a young man any longer, what with the white, balding hair, but that meant nothing to him. He was a man who believed in entertainment and moneymaking more than anything else. In other words, Mayer was a force to be reckoned with.

The wooden door opened and another man was escorted in by a young secretary. "Mr. Mayer, this is Mr. Astaire." The young lady ducked her head and made her way out of the office, gently closing the door behind her. This Mr. Astaire - Mr. _Fred_ Astaire, if you wanted his full name - was certainly very different in terms of looks. He was most definitely skinny, and tall, but not quite lanky. He always thought he was a funny-looking guy, not traditionally handsome, to say the least. But one couldn't deny that his hazel eyes were appealing and his nose was satisfactory. His jaw was shaped oddly and his ears were a bit big, but that smile more than made up for those faults. More than anything else, he was most definitely dapper and well-dressed. He was wearing an immaculately tailored three-piece suit with black pinstripe double-breasted jacket and a red polka dot tie, and a pocket handkerchief and white carnation showed attention to detail. With that, he was wearing a dark brown fedora, and... _tap shoes_.

It wasn't customary to wear tap shoes to a business meeting, but in this case, it was born out of a practical need. Fred Astaire was well-known as a dancer, and it happened to be the first time he was meeting the head of MGM Studios. He had established a reputation as a stage performer with his sister Adele - but here he was, sans a partner, and in the unfamiliar world of Hollywood. She'd gotten married, and he decided to try the film business. Fred had already danced with Joan Crawford briefly on-screen, but he thought he looked just like a dancing butter knife. Nevertheless, he was there because Mayer wanted to discuss future film projects with him.

"Ah, Mr. Astaire. Sit down, please." Mayer looked up from his paperwork with a friendly smile on his face. "Well, _Dancing Lady_ is a success, and we've gotten plenty of requests from fans to have you in another film." There was no beating about the bush with him - he was always businesslike and concise. "I asked you down here because we've got another movie musical in production right now, and I think I can find you a spot in it." All this information was coming so fast to Fred that he blinked a few times and hesitated, trying to process it all.

"Yes..." He murmured. Part of him was surprised that people actually cared enough about his bit part in _Dancing Lady_ to write letters to MGM. And he hadn't expected them to actually _have_ a movie in production at that moment. How would they just squeeze him a part in there? "Who's in the movie?" The dancer finally brought himself to ask a meaningful question.

"Oh, Gene Raymond and Dolores del Rio, if things work out." Mayer responded, picking up a telephone receiver. "Is it a yes or a no, Mr. Astaire?" He obviously had no time to wait around all day for an answer. He wanted a decision at that moment - nothing less, nothing more.

"Well..." Fred took ten seconds to think of his current situation. He had no other film commitments or anything to do on-stage, and people already recognized him as part of MGM Studios. Besides, the sooner he started work, the better. "It's a most definite yes." He nodded to Mayer and extended his hand across the table for him to shake. The studio head returned the gesture, before dialling a number on the telephone. "Come on, then, Mr. Astaire. I've got to give you a tour of the set." With that, both men rose from their seats. Fred was startled at how fast the meeting had gone from "please sit down" to "I'll give you a tour of the set", but that was how Mayer worked.

The next thirty minutes found the two of them walking around the set of _Flying Down to Rio_ , with Mayer explaining how things were done. Fred listened carefully - he had had a little experience with films, but not much. "Mr. Mayer, if I may ask you a question... who am I going to dance with?" The dancer piped up after a minute of silence between the two of them. The studio head seemed to be looking for somebody in particular, although he had heard Fred's question. "Mr. Mayer..." He murmured again, unsure whether his query had been heard.

"Ah, follow me." Mayer descended a flight of stairs, where a group of extras was working on something very peculiar. _Airplanes?_ But it was clear that the airplanes weren't what Mayer was looking for. No, it was a pretty young lady with beautiful blonde hair and stunning blue eyes. "Mr. Astaire, this is Miss Rogers, your new dancing partner." At that exact moment, two pairs of eyes met and mutual recognition shined. Fred took a step forward, his heart racing. Of all things - his former girlfriend, Ginger! A wide grin spread across his face and it was returned by the blonde actress.

"Ginge!" He burst out, holding his hand out for her to shake. Ginger responded with a radiant smile and hugged him instead with only affection and warmth in her embrace. "Fancy seeing you here!" Fred hadn't quite caught the part that she was to be his new dancing partner since he was overjoyed at just seeing her again after three years. Mayer's cough brought them both back to reality and they broke apart from the hug, still grinning.

"Aww, Freddie." Ginger chose to ignore the studio head's presence for a moment, instead focusing her attention on her new dancing partner. Back in New York, he had choreographed a routine for her in the Gershwin show _Girl Crazy_ , and they had danced a little together. But what stood out most in their minds was the all-too-brief romantic relationship they had shared whilst there. Fred could tell from the look in her eyes that she, too, was remembering those days. Ginger's gaze fell upon his lips, and in her head, she relived the five-minute kiss in the back of his car.

"You, uh, perhaps you'd like to see Dave Gould, the dance director." Mayer interrupted the two of them. He had to admit that he hadn't anticipated that the two would have known each other, but that was their business. They could do all the catching up they wanted _after_ he finished giving Fred the tour of the set.

"Yes, yes, I'd like that." Fred sounded a bit distracted, still looking at Ginger. The two exchanged a smile before the former continued along with the studio head, his heart suddenly a lot lighter. The two men made their way into a rehearsal room, where a jazz record crackled on the grammophone. The sound of taps resounded in the room, and Fred soon saw who was behind that noise.

It was a young man, no more than twenty-two or twenty-three years of age, who was dancing one of the best tap routines Fred had ever seen. And believe him - he had seen plenty of those dancing acts during his stage days. As soon as the two entered, the young man stopped dancing and turned around to face them.

"Is Mr. Gould around?" Mayer asked, a little to Fred's surprise. The latter had thought that this young man was the dance director, given his incredible dancing ability. Well, whoever he was - this kid was going places, and Fred was sure of it.

"Uh, no. He went to... get lunch." The young man responded, a little nervous at their presence. "Is there anything I could do? Take a message, perhaps?" He offered, rushing over to get a pencil and notepad.

"What's your name?" Fred asked, interrupting whatever Mayer was about to say. The studio head didn't look too happy about that, but said nothing.

"Pan." He replied with a small smile. "Hermes Pan." Frankly, Hermes was scared to death, considering that the studio head _and_ Fred Astaire (whoever hadn't heard of Fred and his sister Adele?) were talking to _him_. He was simply the assistant dance director and a starry-eyed, ambitious kid. He never thought something like this would happen.

"Pan. May I call you that? It's nice to meet you." Fred extended his hand with a grin, and Hermes shook it with a broad smile on his face. "If I may say so, I think you're a brilliant dancer." The stage star added.

"Yes, er- How about you tell Mr. Gould that Mr. Astaire is going to be working with us on this film, and that we'd like to see him in my office?" Mayer cut into something Hermes was about to say. The latter nodded simply in return. To him, the fact that Fred Astaire, that famous dancing star, was going to be working with them was dizzying, to say the least.

"I think it's going to be a pleasure to choreograph dances with you, Pan." Fred added, as Mayer guided him out of the room and continued on their studio tour. Hermes nodded eagerly, the smile still on his face. Imagine that - Fred Astaire telling him that it was going to be fun to work with him!

 

* * *

_A few weeks passed, and Fred still was a lost lamb when it came to Hollywood's ways of doing things. However, his confusion was eased to a great degree by his dancing partner. Fred and Ginger were barely seen apart - she was almost always holding onto his arm and showing him around and instructing him on what to do. It was a reversal of their roles in New York, where Fred choreographed and gave her instructions. At any rate, he was grateful for the help, and the fact that he had found one familiar face in the overwhelming new surroundings._

_Strangely enough, Hermes found himself quickly becoming friends with the two dancing stars. His position of assistant dance director was no barrier to their friendship, and the three often spent long hours rehearsing together. The three of them couldn't have been happier, both during rehearsals and after. They thought of each other as untapped gold mines of dance ideas, but more than that, they also loved each others' company._

_And that morning, the group was rehearsing what was to become the legendary Carioca._

* * *

 

"Say, Freddie, you know what?" Hermes asked as he grabbed a chair and spun it around backwards, so that he could lean his arms on the top of the backrest. "I've got an idea. That Carioca dance - or whatever they're calling it - how about you and Ginge dance with your foreheads touching?" It was just one of ideas that came on the spur of the moment, and he often tossed those out during dance sessions. Sometimes they weren't used, sometimes they were stored for other dances, but occasionally, the three of them concurred on the idea and used it in the current dance.

"With our foreheads touching?" Fred asked, rolling up his sleeves to his elbows. "Like this?" He took Ginger's left hand in his right, and he placed his left hand on her shoulder. Then, without a word, he leaned forward and touched his forehead to hers. The proximity of their faces was almost mind-blowing for him, but at the same time, it reminded him of that kiss in New York.

"How are we gonna dance like this?" Ginger voiced a legitimate concern, but she met his warm hazel gaze with her own, and she resisted the urge to bite her lip and smile and look down. A tingling feeling coursed through her; something which she couldn't explain.

"It's easy!" He interrupted Hermes, who was about to say something. "Here, Ginge, just focus on the dance and don't conciously look at your feet. I promise not to step on them." Fred grinned as he started to lead her into the first few dance steps. Those were seared onto his mind; he rehearsed tirelessly until he knew the whole dance routine in his sleep.

"That's it!" Hermes shouted as the two of them started to dance around the rehearsal room in perfect harmony. Ginger let out a loud giggle as she found herself completely at ease when dancing with Fred, and as he had promised, he hadn't tread on her toes yet.

"Hey, this is great!" After they had gone through the whole routine perfectly, except with their foreheads touching, Fred broke away. "Pan, I think we can do this. What do you say, Ginger?" He turned to his partner, his heart still racing from how close together they were not a moment ago. If they incorporated that in their dance, it would mean they would have to do that every time they rehearsed. Not such a bad thought, actually.

"I like it." Ginger agreed. "Let's do it again." This time, she took his hand and placed her other hand on his shoulder. Staring at each other like that - barely three inches away all the time - was exhilarating. The two partners went through the routine once again, and the forehead-touching stuck.

* * *

"Fred, tell me something." It was late at night and Hermes and Fred had stayed back to work on his solo dance routine in the film. In fact, the janitors had asked them to go home, since it was past midnight and they had to lock the rehearsal rooms.

"What?" Fred dug in his pockets for a cigarette and a lighter, not noticing the perplexed expression on his friend's face.

"Do you... do you like Ginger?" Hermes asked the question with a grave tone that differentiated it from those gossiping high schoolers who giggled over such affairs. "I mean, not in a friendly way. In... in the same way the two of you were in New York." He added.

Fred stopped dead at the question, forgetting the hunt for the cigarette and staring at Hermes. "Well..." He couldn't tell a lie. "Yes." Every time they danced with their foreheads touching, he found himself overcome with the urge to kiss Ginger on the lips, just like in New York. He had managed to control himself thus far; although the dancer wasn't sure how much longer his self-control would hold out. "I'm nuts about her and I can't deny it."

"Well, I just thought you should know this." Hermes stopped walking as well. The shadow that the building cast obscured the troubled expression on his face, but the strain in his voice gave away how he was feeling. "Ginger is engaged. To Lew Ayres." He revealed the news quietly, feeling immensely bad for his friend. He had seen those looks Fred gave her in rehearsals. He had heard him talk about Ginger non-stop for hours on end. He knew his friend was goofy about her; but apparently, she was goofy about someone else.

"Oh." Fred's voice dropped to a near-whisper. "How did you find out?" He looked down at the uneven ground beneath his feet; almost making a study of it. Words couldn't describe how terrible he was feeling. He thought that since he found Ginger _again_ , the two of them were meant to be.

The only reason why they had broken up was because she had to leave for Hollywood and Fred was still performing on Broadway. They harbored no ill feelings towards each other. "You're going to be the movie queen out West, mark my words." That was what Fred had told Ginger when he went to see her off at the airport. He didn't think he'd see her again, except on a movie screen, but here he was, working on the same film as her. He let his old feelings for her return, but now it looked as if he was going to have to bury them.

"I saw her looking at a ring today, while you had gone out to smoke a cigarette. I asked her... and she told me. Ginger's gonna tell everyone on set tomorrow. But... I wanted to prepare you." Hermes replied. The pain and disappointment that Fred was feeling was almost palpable.

"I see." Fred responded simply. He was silent for a minute as he lit himself a cigarette and threw the  empty box of matches aside. "Thanks for telling me."

"She's very happy, Fred."

"I know. As long as she's happy, I'm happy." That was a blatant lie, as far as he was concerned, but no one had to know that. Fred slipped one hand into his pocket, and started walking again, at a brisk pace, but not in the direction of the hotel.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to take a walk. A long walk. They say those help clear your thoughts." He didn't look back. "Don't wait up for me, I'll see you here tomorrow morning."

"But-" Hermes's protest was cut off as Fred continued to walk into the distance, leaving a trail of cigarette smoke in his trail. He decided to take his friend's word for "as long as she's happy, I'm happy", despite the fact that he knew it wasn't true. Sometimes, it was simply better to hang onto those lies.


End file.
